This invention relates generally to conveyors and, more particularly, to extendable conveyors for loading products into, or unloading products from a truck trailer, or the like.
The loading and unloading of packages from truck trailers or the like is typically a physically challenging task. Given the often heavy weight of the packages loaded or unloaded, the cramped working area, and the repetitive lifting of these packages, the task may lead to injuries. With the high costs of labor and worker""s compensation insurance, it is highly desirable to provide a machine which reduces both the potential of injuries to workers and the physical labor required to be exerted by the workers.
Extendable conveyors generally provide various benefits to the task of loading or unloading a truck trailer or the like. Of great benefit is the lengthwise extendable nature of the conveyor. By adjustably extending the conveying surface lengthwise, the amount of walking which workers have to perform between the conveyor end and the place where the articles or packages are stacked is reduced. The reduction in walking enables the trailer to be loaded or unloaded in less time and with greater efficiency. Furthermore, because the workers do not have to carry the articles being loaded or unloaded as great a distance, the potential for injuries while carrying possibly heavy articles is reduced.
Prior extendable conveyors, however, have not been without certain disadvantages. Longitudinal extendability places the operator interface closer to the work zone but does not take into account the lateral width of the trailer. Some prior extendable conveyors have designs which allow the extendable conveyor to be moved from side-to-side. This occurs about a pivot axis located outside the trailer truck. However, this requires that the entire length of the conveyor be moved laterally, which is complicated and may require a motor and costly sensing systems. Other examples, include load-out conveyors having an independently pivotable discharge conveyor that is supported on a wheeled vehicle. The wheeled vehicle, however, adds undesirable bulk to the working area and necessitates that the floor of the truck trailer be substantially flush with the floor of the loading dock.
Other difficulties with prior art extendable conveyors having pivotably mounted user interface sections is the inability of the user interface section to be fully retractable into the base unit. This lack of full retractability requires additional space at the loading dock which interferes with efficient operation.
From these examples, it can be seen that it would be highly desirable to provide an extendable conveyor which overcomes the disadvantages discussed above and others, and which has an improved ergonomic design that reduces the potential for worker injuries, and increases efficiency and productivity.
The present invention is intended to provide an extendable conveyor with improved ergonomic design that reduces the potential for injuries, lowers costs, and increases efficiency. An extendable conveyor for conveying articles between a particular location and a selectable variable location according to the present invention includes a mechanically extendable section supported in a cantilever fashion by a support structure. The mechanically extendable section is extendable along a longitudinal axis between a fully extended position extending forwardly from the support structure and a fully retracted position extending in an opposite direction. A horizontally adjustable user interface section is supported on said mechanically extendable section in a cantilever fashion. The user interface section is horizontally adjustable about the mechanically extendable section with respect to the longitudinal axis. The cantilever support of the boom and mechanically extendable section, along with the horizontal adjustability of the boom provide a greater ease of use of the extendable conveyor.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an extendable conveyor section is supported in a cantilevered manner and includes at least one extendable conveyor unit that is extendable and retractable between an extended position and a retracted position nested within the extendable conveyor section. A user interface section is supported in a cantilevered manner from the extendable conveyor unit. The user interface section is vertically adjustable about a substantially horizontal axis and horizontally adjustable about a substantially vertical axis relative to the extendable conveyor section. A first portion of a conveying surface is defined on the extendable conveyor section and a second portion of the conveying surface is defined on the user interface section. An actuator is operable to vertically adjust the user interface section, whereby the actuator is actuatable in a substantially horizontal direction throughout a full range of vertical adjustment of the user interface section. Preferably, the full range of vertical adjustment is between at least sixty degrees above a generally horizontal orientation and at least approximately ten degrees below the generally horizontal orientation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an extendable conveyor, which is extendable along a longitudinal axis between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, is supported in a cantilever fashion by a support structure. The mechanically extendable section has a conveying surface. A user interface section is horizontally adjustable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the extendable section. The user interface section has a conveying portion and a support portion. The support portion is at least partially positioned within the mechanically extendable section and is pivotable about a vertical axis with respect thereto. The conveying portion is supported in a cantilever fashion at the support portion and is pivotable about the vertical axis with the support portion. Preferably, the conveying portion is pivotally mounted at an outer end of the support portion and is vertically adjustable with respect to the support portion and the mechanically extendable section.
In one form, an inner end of the support portion includes at least one roller which provides rolling engagement along an arcuate track within the mechanically extendable section, such that the rollers provide cantilever support for the user interface section at the arcuate track. An actuator may be positioned along the support portion and operable to raise and lower the conveying portion via extension or retraction of the actuator along a generally horizontal path throughout a full range of vertical adjustment of the conveying portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, an extendable conveyor for conveying articles between a particular location and a selectable variable location includes a base unit and one or more extendable conveyor units selectively nested within the base unit. The extendable conveyor units are each adjustably positionable incrementally between a fully nested position within the base unit and a fully extended position telescoped forwardly from the base unit. A user interface section is adjustably positionable between a fully nested position within the base unit and a fully extended position extending forwardly from the furthermost extendable one of the extendable conveyor units. The adjustable positionability of the user interface section allow the extendable conveyor to be retracted into a more compact space, thus freeing up space at the loading dock.
According to another aspect of the invention, an extendable conveyor for conveying articles between a particular location and a selectable variable location includes at least one extendable conveyor unit, a first conveying surface, and a user interface section having a carriage assembly and a boom. The carriage assembly is movably supported on a pair of extendable unit roller bars mounted to the forward end of the furthermost extendable of the extendable conveyor units. The boom has a second conveying surface and is pivotally mounted to the carriage assembly so as to be able to pivot horizontally with respect to the carriage assembly. The horizontal pivotability of the boom and the movability of the carriage assembly on the roller bars allow for a more efficient use of the extendable conveyor.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, an extendable conveyor for conveying articles between a particular location and a selectable variable location is provided which is supported at one end in a cantilever fashion by a support structure. The extendable conveyor further includes at least one extendable conveyor unit having a first conveying surface. The extendable conveyor units are selectively adjustable between a fully extended position extending forwardly from the support structure and a fully retracted position extending in an opposite direction. A carriage assembly is supported on one of the extendable conveyor units which is the furthermost extendable from the support structure. A boom having a second conveying surface is pivotally mounted to the carriage assembly so as to be both vertically and horizontally pivotable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the extendable conveyor units. A height adjustment mechanism adjusts the vertical height of the forward end of the boom and includes a plate mounted on either the boom or the carriage assembly. A shoe is mounted on the other of the boom or the carriage assembly. An actuator is provided for elevating the boom with respect to the plate or the shoe. This unique combination provides both horizontal and vertical adjustability of the boom, which allows the boom to be positioned closer to the work area thereby improving the efficiency of the extendable conveyor.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, an extendable conveyor includes a support structure and one or more extendable conveyor units adjustably positionable with respect to the support structure. The extendable conveyor units are positionable between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position. A user interface section is longitudinally movable with respect to the support structure and along the extendable conveyor unit which is the furthermost extendable from the support structure. An interlock system permits the extendable conveyor units to extend only when the user interface section is positioned on the furthermost extendable of the extendable conveyor units. The interlock system also prevents the user interface section from moving off of the furthermost extendable conveyor unit unless the furthermost extendable conveyor unit is in a fully retracted position. The user interface section can thus be moved to a user-desired location for efficient loading or unloading and can be retracted to a fully rested position within a base unit.
These and other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.